[ACE]

Just curious if anyone has tried to put a 170/60-ZR17 on the rear. I've heard that size will fit on the rear rim. Anyone tried it?

 

[Andy]

I talked with a guy who has an R1 and he said he put on a smaller rear tire to make it turn quicker.

I guess that putting on a bigger rear tire would make it turn slower.

Andy 2001 ZR-7S

 

[Martin64]

It would also take more power to pull it

 

[MedZR7Treker]

I think the stock size rear is pretty fat to begin with. When I first got the bike, I told my brother-in-law it was not a sport bike. He took one look at it from the rear with that tire in full view and said, "Yhea....right !"

Tony

 

[Tom Bozeman]

Fatter rear tire and more straight line riding. Do you want to drag race the ZR? I've checked some rear tires at group meets, and some of the real sportbikes in the area where I ride have no wear on the outer edges of their tires, which leads me to believe that most of these guys go fast in a straight line and go real slow in the turns. Squids?? Maybe. Tom

 

[Martin64]

I think it's a case of not very many guys being able to ride the big bikes to their full potential. There are few guys that can really get those big horse power heavy weights on their sides without causing big damage to everyone around. Kinda like driving one of the "Big Foot" trucks or an F1 car down the street. Sure, it looks cool, and you may own it, but what the heck are you gonna do with it?

 

[Tom Bozeman]

Marty, you hit the nail on the head! The term "poser" comes to mind. This is why I "know" the ZR7(s) is the excellent choice for riders like you and I and everyone here on ZR7.com, it goes fast enough, it handles well enough, it "looks" good enough, the insurance is cheap enough, and the price was right for all of us (speaking for everybody) and, well I'm happy with it (and my tires are scuffed to the edges). And I enjoy the "**** talking" of the 'Busa guys who, well, pretty much ride a straight line on the road and pay all that insurance. Tom

 

[Martin64]

They do tend to "spew", don't they. At least with alot of the smaller cc sport bike riders, they can get down and dirty. They still pay way too much in insurance and payments for me though.

 

[emrah]

I've got exactly 1/8 of an inch to go on each side before I can say I've made full use of my rear tire. And I think THAT would be plenty for me!

I do like the idea of a getting "down and dirty" with the smaller cc bikes. Call me crazy, but I would love to have a 250cc Kawi Ninja to flog the **** out of. Super light, small, agile, cheap (get one a few years old and you won't worry about messing it up), and relatively good performing. I would take it to track days and take it to the twisties to learn to ride better/faster. Maybe I'll even "drop a knee" someday.

The bike would certainly be able to go much faster than my capabilities so far. Just like the Big Foot and F1 analogy. What would be more fun to flog on a twisty road. Driving/riding a lesser machine 10/10ths on every day roads is much more fun than a full-on sporty/race machine that takes less skill.

Emrah

 

[titomike]

Hmmm squeezing a wider rear tyre onto the standard wheel isn't gonna make it look any fatter, coz it will still be limited by rim width.

What it will do is pull the fatty into an abnormal V shape, so you will wear the centre quicker, and the thing will be very unstable on partial lean, wanting to fall onto its side. Having said that at full lean it will put more rubber on the road.

Best to stick blue-tac consistency sports production tyres on the bike and stick to a 160 rear. My Michelin macadam rear still has a hot looking tread pattern ( yeah shallow I know )

BTW did you know the Ninja ZX10 from the early 90's ran a 160 rear... that was considered a fatty back then.